Deconstructing the Big House
 & The BIG SIX LIST!

Angela did research so she could clearly lay out how the big six publishing entities are set up. Go over every line. She found the niche, the specialties, of the various publishers--within the hierarchies. Changing hands, as frequently happens, does not change their focus. They are still good, very good, at children’s books, commercial fiction, etc. and some make varying degrees of room for first time authors.

This article explains the what, where, when, how, and why of the big houses. Who they are, What they own, Where they are located, When they merged, and Why they do what they do. The Big Six List contains tons of useful links for aspiring authors.

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 Ann S. Moore, CEO Time, Inc.
 Manages (Her) Time With Integrity and Passion

Join us in a rare and enlightening interview with Ann Moore, the dynamic woman behind Time Inc. Not only does she discuss some of the secrets of her success, but she puts to rest the debate about the value of online clips! As a freelance writer, you won’t want to miss what she has to say.

Hearing firsthand what it means to Ann Moore when she sees writers succeed tells us we have more support than we realize. And how did she get to be Chairman & CEO? As you read, perhaps you’ll look at your decisions and hard work in a different light--and walk a little taller.

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 Nan A. Talese
 A Reader's Journey to Publishing

If you never believed in the power of reading and staying true to your priorities--reading this article will prove to be a life-changing experience for you. If you’ve always believed in both, here’s the encouragement you need to stay true to yourself during the rougher times.

There are varying opinions of the NY publishing houses; and what happens to writers when they approach them, and why. Through knowledge, get ready to arm yourself for a much better shot at seeing your book published. This and our other articles will help you decide which route to publication is best for you--The Big House or the small/independent press.

This award-winning, highly regarded editor and publisher of her own imprint with Doubleday proves that smart, hard-working ladies with heart can definitely come in first! So, study this atypical interview, check your map, and enjoy your journey to...

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 Joanna Cotler
 The Arts Trained Joanna for Publishing

Joanna let’s us know that producing delightful books by award-winning authors and luminaries, even if they are children’s books, isn’t child’s play.

She has close to three decades dedicated to honing her editing skills and building a reputation that HarperCollins felt was worthy of receiving her own imprint. Whether you write children’s books or not, there is so much to learn from the dedication and focus that makes Joanna equal to her position in the publishing world.

And, yes, even at the top, relationships with her authors are of the utmost importance and great source of joy to Joanna.

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 Louann Brizendine, M.D.
 Shares Her Female Brain

Now, it's no secret, when we started WOW! it was, and still is, our goal to arm women writers, readers, agents, editors, and publishers with encouragement and hopefully knowledge to enhance abilities and enjoyment.

Then came Louann Brizendine, M.D. She gave us a completely new spin on what we could present to enlighten our women readers and us. Starting with the informative years of a little girl, through the teen years (with some of the puzzling, almost obsessive behaviors), on to the 'head-over-heels' experience, looking PMS in the eye, then plowing into menopause and right on past--we gain knowledge of ourselves as females.

This article is guaranteed to teach you enough...to make you know...that you have no choice but to read Louann's bestselling nonfiction book, The Female Brain. If you are a woman, you won't want to miss Louann's interview. If you aren't a woman and ever have a hope of understanding one, you won't want to miss Louann's interview either.

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 Elise Capron, Literary Agent
 20 Questions Column

The leading ladies in the articles previewed above leave no doubt that you must have an agent if you want to get published by a NY publisher.

But truthfully, approaching and finding the right agent can sometimes be as formidable a task as getting the attention of one of the Big Houses. We contacted Elise because we loved her attitude and willingness to help, when we were interviewing Sandra Dijkstra.

We thought, who would you rather have answer 20 questions than an agent who says, “I WANT to love their work.” Scrutinize her column, you’ll feel you have a friend in the business that desires to see you succeed; guess what, you do!

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 Freelancer's Corner: Barbara Shine
 Writes About Finding Your Flock

Barbara Shine has blazed a trail to make it easier for you to find, what she calls, your flock. If you’ve never been to a writers’ group, after reading this article, you’ll feel less apprehensive about venturing out. You will also understand why it’s a wise move to find the group where you can give and get the most.

Suppose you say that you’ve tried that and don’t ever want to put your writer’s life at risk again. She will help you understand what to look for, and show the rewards of a successful search.

See the shining faces of ones that are glad they put themselves out in what felt like wolf-territory, we’re sure. It’s a comprehensive, down-to-earth approach to fulfilling a very real need in a writer’s life.

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 C. Hope Clark's Funds For Writers
 Free Rides to Residencies and Retreats!

Sometimes our dreams can feel like necessities, even worse, sometimes they are. How about the yearning to break out and travel; you know, the trip where you end up at a peaceful retreat that allows, encourages you to write? No yearning alone will put money in the bank; so do you just squash your desire? No.

Read Hope’s column, Funds 4 Writers. This month, she’ll tell you how some have received free (that’s FREE) rides to residencies and retreats. Don’t throw your dream away, see if you too can have a FREE experience. One that is so wonderful you have to write WOW! and tell us all about it.

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 How 2 Cut Your Contest Entry Down to Size
 By Mandy Vicsai

Mandy Vicsai shares how she won First Place in our WOW! Fall 2006 Flash Fiction Contest. There is a clear-cut, easy to understand method she uses to get that word count down.

Underscoring how vital this information is, we were told recently “writing must be lean and mean and spare and clean, to make it in today’s world of writing.” And the author we’re quoting had her book on bestseller lists in less than two months!

Make Mandy’s editing skills your own. Add her process into your writing habits--contest, article, book, etc. and feel even better about your work. Mandy's article includes all 5 drafts of her flash fiction story, Strange Doin's available for download! Take a close look at Mandy's editing skills from draft to completion. Curious? I bet you are!

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 Markets: Get Published in 2007!
 Literary Magazines Seeking Poetry & Fiction

We're proud to have magazine markets courtesy of Writer's Insitute Publications. They put out one of the most comprehensive guides I've ever read, and we're getting a sneak preview of their latest guide: The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers 2007.

Here's a sample listing:

VESTAL REVIEW

2609 Dartmouth Drive
Vestal, NY 13850

Editor: Mark Budman

Description and Interests
Launched in 2000 and published quarterly, Vestal Review offers only flash fiction—stories no longer than 500 words. Romance, Westerns, and inspirational stories are not accepted, but other genres are welcome. Circ: Unavailable.

Website: www.vestalreview.com

Freelance Potential
100% written by non-staff writers. Publishes 30 freelance submissions yearly; 25% by unpublished writers, 50% by authors who are new to the magazine, 75% by experts. Receives 200 unsolicited mss monthly.

Submissions & Payment
Sample copy, $5 with 9x12 SASE (3 first-class stamps). Guidelines available at website. Send complete ms. Accepts email submissions to submissions@vestalreview.net. Responds in 3 months. First North American serial rights. Fiction, to 500 words; $.03–$.10 per word. Pays on publication. Provides 1 contributor's copy.

If you're a freelancer, this guide is for you. It's a hefty 750 pages, and features 1,730 of the best magazine markets. That means, these listings were hand-picked because of their openness to new writers and their payments to freelancers.

Check out our Markets Page for more listings...

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 Inspiration: We Asked, You Answered!
 Your Writing Muse

No one is more special than you, our readers. Why, everything we do is for you. This explains why we are very taken by the submissions we have included--from you. Not only are there wonderful ideas that we can all pick up from one another, but we get to know you better.

Read this and get to know your fellow-readers better. Who’s sitting next to you, in the invisible cyberspace? Could they hold the key to breaking your next writer’s block into gazillion smatterings like dust?

You cannot miss this article, because only you will know the answers to the above questions after you’ve read Your Writing Muse.

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 Looking for an Personal Editor?
 We Review the Writers-Editors Network!

Dana Cassell is the contact that you always knew you needed, but maybe you didn’t know where to find her, till now. Good news, she’s only part of a whole network of great contacts.

We all know we need an editor. We also know that we need an editor able to reveal the best of our best; not cut the stuffing out of us with a red pencil. How do we find the right one?

To make money as a writer is our quest; but where do we find the markets as we start out? Are we throwing away our hard work because we don’t recognize its value, until too late. This review will be your key to the writers’ Fort Knox. Wear sunglasses, there’s a lot of gold in there.

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 Must Haves - Tax Time!
 Just in Time for that April 15th Tax Crunch!

If you're a freelance writer, contractor, or a business owner, you've been dreading that ever-looming date. Well, don't fret, we picked out some things to make it easier for you!

Stress isn’t good for our muse, when our muse doesn’t work either do we. Therefore, we decided that our Must-Haves simply had to help us in one way or another--get through another tax season. Some are stress-busters for the rest of the year, too.

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